Gary Oldman admits 'my tongue would be black' amid 'hellish' battle with alcoholism

Award-winning actor and filmmaker Gary Oldman, 62, has candidly opened up about his life as a functioning alcoholic nearly 24 years ago. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, the Batman actor spoke about his “hellish” battle with alcoholism, which he said he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

The British director spoke about how “romanticising” about an abusive relationship with alcohol, led to him being unable to separate the substance from his life.

He said: “People romanticise it, and even I romanticised it.

“All my heroes were drinkers or opium addicts, and you get all misty-eyed about these poets and playwrights and actors who were big drinkers.”

However, after working as a functioning alcoholic for over 20 years of his life, he revealed the toll it was taking on his body.

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Gary felt he could get away with his addiction as he could still work and say his lines while filming.

He said: “When I was drinking, I was working and I was remembering lines, so you feel you’re getting away with it, though, deep down, beneath the denial, you know.”

Gary has previously opened up about drinking two bottles of vodka a day at the height of his battle with alcohol.

But it was actress Demi Moore who insisted the star get help for his addiction, after producers had to feed him his lines through an earpiece while on the set of 1995 film The Scarlet Letter.

Gary disclosed: “Demi Moore said, ‘You’re very ill — you have to go away. I am very worried about you’.”

It was the push the actor needed and he finally went to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Gary’s father also died from the disease, suffering liver failure at the age of 62.

The actor said: “I have alcoholism, so it’s hereditary. I saw him briefly once or twice in that period before he died, so I have an image of him as someone old, who was dying.”

source: express.co.uk